March For The Lives

March For Our Lives was a worldwide, student-led protest with the goal to formally abolish or create stricter gun laws. The Never Again movement began at 11 a.m. with parents and children marching in areas like Washington D.C to Atlanta, GA.

The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting united students across America to prevent another horrific incident again. Stoneman Douglas High School survivor, Emma Gonzalez made speeches that emotionalized people to stand up for more safety in schools. Even world leaders such as the Pope encouraged for students to spread the awareness.

“Everyone who was there understands. Everyone who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence understands. For us, long, tearful, chaotic hours in the scorching afternoon sun were spent not knowing. No one understood the extent of what had happened. No one could believe that there were bodies in that building waiting to be identified for over a day. No one knew that the people who were missing had stopped breathing long before any of us had even known that a code red had been called. No one could comprehend the devastating aftermath, or how far this would reach, or where this would go,” Emma Gonzalez, Stoneman Douglas High School survivor, said.

The Never Again movement, with the formal objective to protect students from worldwide gun violence, was opposed by the NRA. The NRA believes that the solution to gun violence is to promote more guns and protect yourself. On the other hand, abolishing guns only promotes more violence and limits you from your rights. The NRA also claims that the movement is filled with lies and the horrific scene would have had a better outcome if a more confident security officer was present.

Photo Credit: Kyle Wong

“Today’s protests aren’t spontaneous. Gun-hating billionaires and Hollywood elites are manipulating and exploiting children as part of their plan to destroy the Second Amendment and strip us of our right to defend ourselves and our loved ones,” NRA, a nonprofit organization that advocates the second amendment, said.

The bill that recently passed in Florida changed gun laws in Florida mainly with its minimum age to carry guns. Other activities that have been implemented include more in depth background checks, less violent gun gadgets (banning bump stocks) and more funding to school securities. The Florida bill kept gun rights for its citizens but also prevented more young adults from obtaining guns by allowing soldiers under 21 years old to hold arms.

After the Never Again protest where they vented out all their anger, the movement settled down with Martin Luther King Jr’s granddaughter, Yolanda Renee King, taking over what her grandfather left behind.

“I have a dream that enough is enough and this should be a gun-free world, period,” Yolanda Renee King, a gun control activist, said.